To Stand Among Heroes
by Onio Son of Goku
Summary: David Shields, dear friend to All Might, has been arrested for endangering the lives of the people in I-Tower, leaving Melissa with the task of moving in with her godfather, All Might. When Izuku shows up, things get interesting as Melissa decided to 'tell' Deku how she feels. It's still cute in places, but ever relationship has it's ups and downs, so expect a bit of angst.
1. Arrival and Late Night Talks

Melissa excitedly tapped away on her computer, finishing up the blueprints for the Full Gauntlets 2.0. They were far from being finished, but they were going to be much tougher than the first one she'd made. After all, it was just a prototype. This would be part of a set that would also cover the legs. She was calling that set Full Greaves.

The blonde woman pushed some hair back behind her ear, looking out the window. She felt a stab of pain as she looked out over the landscape of Japan. She wished her father were here, but something in her heart was still proud of him, if not furious.

After the I-Island incident, once everyone from UA left, her father, David Shield, long time friend of All Might, turned himself into the authorities, confessing in court that he was the one who masterminded the entire attack. Melissa was understandably angry at him, but he simply told her it's what someone who stood by the Symbol of Peace for so long should do and that no wrong goes unpunished, hugging his crying daughter tightly. He promised he'd write every day and she promised she'd answer.

After that, as she had only just turned seventeen, she was being sent to live with her godfather, the number one hero himself, All Might. She was heartbroken that she had to leave her friends at the academy behind, but she didn't leave with nothing. They all made gifts for her and made sure she had their contact info.

As a way to get over her depression and boredom from the sixteen hour flight, she busied herself with her work. She was going to be going to UA's support class, which meant she was going to the same school as Deku! She felt her face flush a bit as she imagined his smiling face, his raw determination, his nerdy, fanboy habits. He was a bit short, yeah, and if she were honest, she liked taller boys (her ex-boyfriends could attest to that), but something about Izuku Midoriya of UA drew her in. She hadn't had a crush on a boy in a while, it was kinda startling.

**_"We are beginning our final approach to Musutafa International Airport. All passengers are to have their seats in the upright positions and have their seat restraints securely fastened. We also would like to ask that all electronic devices be turned off at this time." _**The pilot said over the intercom. Melissa saved her progress on her project, switching it and her phone off before getting strapped down. She didn't know what she was more excited for, seeing Uncle Might again, or seeing Deku.

The plane shook hard as it began to fall in altitude. This part always made Melissa nervous. She did some deep breathing to stay calm until the plane gave a particularly rough shake.

**_"Alright, passengers, it seems that we're not going to get the smooth landing we wanted. Please, ensure that you're properly wearing your oxygen mask and assume crash position."_** On cue, the oxygen masks dropped in front of everyone. Melissa's heart was pounding as she grabbed her mask. She turned a bit to see the little girl across the lane was freaking out. Her mother had gone to the restroom just a few minutes ago and she wasn't back. The blonde girl hopped up and moved to her.

"Shhhh, shhh, it's okay, sweetie. Your mom will be right back." Melissa said reassuringly before grabbing her mask. "Here, get this on." She helped get the mask on her standing somewhat over the girl, trying to keep her calm as she waited. The plane lurched hard, like it had slammed into something, but there was metal being torn away. Melissa shouted as she was battered against the seat in front of them, leading to the baggage compartment opening and one of the bags hitting her in the head. She faintly felt someone hold her up and a loud voice fill the cabin.

**"FEAR NOT CITIZENS! YOU ARE SAFE! FOR I AM HERE!"**

* * *

Melissa groaned loudly as she finally started to open her eyes. She was laying in a bed in brightly lit room. She looked around to see a woman, the girl from the plane, an airport security guard, and her Uncle Might. All Might was the first to realize his goddaughter was awake. **"Melissa! You're awake!" **The mountain of a man lifted her up as easily as lifting a child, hugging her close before putting her down. He was wearing a yellow striped suit that seemed to be straining to contain him.

"Hey, Uncle Might. What happened?" She said, slowly sitting up before clutching at her pounding head.

The hulking mass of muscle gently pushed her back into the bed. "**Easy now, Melissa, you took quite a hit. A baggage compartment wasn't closed properly, so when I stopped the plane, it opened and a bag hit you in the head while you were helping that little girl."**

The little girl in question walked up, looking at the floor. "Sorry you got hurt helping me, miss. I used my Quirk to try and heal you, but I'm not very good at controlling it."

Melissa smiled and pat the girl on her head. "Hey, what's the frown for? Sure, you may not have a lot of control yet, but you'll get there. Do you want to be a hero when you grow up?" The girl smiled and nodded her head vigoursly, much to her mothers and All Mights amusement. "Well, a bit of advice I got from my Uncle Might might just help you out. He told when I was your age that a true hero always smiles, no matter what. In our world," Melissa used her fingers to make an exaggerated smile, "the ones who are always smiling are the ones who are the strongest."

Toshinori felt an immense swell of pride at that. Seeing Melissa, a Quirkless woman with the heart of a hero, passing on his masters words to another… He cleared his throat, catching everyone's attention. "**Melissa is right, little one. A true hero keeps that smile, even in the hardest of times. Remember that, and you will be a wonderful hero."**

After that, they talked a bit more about what happened, All Might gave Melissa back her glasses, and the mother and her daughter left after both hugging Melissa (and the girl riding on All Mights shoulders for a bit.), leaving the number one hero alone with his goddaughter.

All Might sat down with a huff, Melissa noticing something. "Um, Uncle Might?" He looked up at her. "You're smoking, like there's smoke coming off of you."

The hero looked at himself, noticing as well. **"Well, that's disheartening, but I suppose you were gonna find out one way or the other. I can't hold this form forever, like I used to." **A massive puff of smoke filled the room. Melissa coughed as she waved her hand, trying to disperse it, but to no avail. It did clear after so long, though, leaving the young girl too shocked. Her uncle deflated! "Well, this is what I really look like. Your father knew about this form, but I hid it from you when you were little. Sorry. You always said I was invincible, that no one could beat me, so I tried to keep that up around you, but now, I can't. You're gonna be living with me, so you're gonna need to know about this."

"H-how-"

"My muscle form is the form I take when I'm using my Quirk. This is what I look like otherwise." Melissa just looked astonished. This lanky man was really the same All Might her father idolized? The same man they had come to see as family. But… she knew it was him. His eyes. In his eyes still burned the heart of a hero. Of the worlds Symbol of Peace and Justice.

She smiled gently. "I have a lot of questions, but I'm sure they can wait til we get home." Toshinori smiled and nodded. "We'll sit in here for a bit, let you catch your breath, then we can go."

_'Always thinking of others. That's what makes you so remarkable, Melissa.' _"Before we leave, I need to tell you, not everyone knows about this form, so when I'm like this, you need to call me Toshinori or something along those lines, okay?"

"Okay, Uncle Toshi." Melissa said, making them both laugh a bit. After a few minutes of Melissa lying her head in Toshinori's lap and he uncle idly checking her wound, saying he was playing with her hair, they both got up, Toshinori transformed and they walked out of the terminals security room. After grabbing her bags and working through the throng of All Might fans, they finally got to the car.

All Might rolled up the blacked out windows and started driving down the road before transforming back to his true form. "Dammit, that's getting exhausting." He looked at Melissa, seeing her with the same expression as her father. She was lost in thought. "Hey, kiddo, you wanna go someplace to eat? There's a McDonalds not too far from here." The deadpan look said it all, making the elder man laugh. "All right, all right, no McDonalds, but I'm sure you're hungry."

Melissa was silent for a bit as Toshinori ran down the list of restaurants in the area. "Uncle Toshi?" He hummed in response as they stopped at a red light. "Why can't you hold your hero form anymore?"

The man went quiet for a long while after that. "I'll explain when we get home, okay? I promise."

Melissa nodded, her heart clenching in her chest. Whatever had put this limiter on him, it had to be what made her dad try and steal back his research. It must be bad. After they came to a consensus on what they wanted to eat (pizza, surprisingly, considering Melissa was normally pretty hardcore on watching what she ate despite the fact that she could eat just about anything and not gain a pound), they got home. All Mights apartment was actually rather normal, at least compared to what many would think of his home to look like. It was a large apartment with a fairly large kitchenette off the den with the wall on the opposite wall being a giant window. He had a flat screen tv on the wall with an assortment of devices under it, different video players and a cable box.

Melissa poured herself some juice and her uncle some tea to go with the meal, sitting beside him as he started a movie for them to watch. They ate in comfortable silence after that.

All Might was a bit shocked to say the least. Melissa, after everything she'd been through, was adapting fairly well. Either that, or suppressing all of it, which honestly wouldn't surprise him. She'd been through a lot in the past month. "So, hey, Izuku and his class are gearing up for their final exams."

Izuku's name definitely got her attention, almost so quick it made her uncle laugh… and spew blood, which did scare her a bit. "Sorry about that. But, yeah, there's this training camp they're getting ready for and the exam is just before it."

"Wow! I'm sure they'll do great, but I'm guessing there's a written exam, huh?" All Might nodded. "Well, maybe we could hold a study session here and I could help them out if they needed it?" she suggested.

"Huh, that's not a bad idea, Melissa. I'll let Izuku know that I'm doing that, but he doesn't know you're here yet. Maybe we could surprise him and everyone else with that, though I'm sure he's the one you really wanna surprise." All Might had seen right through her. The thing she was most excited about was seeing Deku again, the proof was written in the dark blush on her face.

But now, came the tough part. He wouldn't tell her about One for All, not yet if at all, at least, but he couldn't just ignore the elephant in the room. "Melissa. Do you still think I'm invincible?"

Melissa took a bite of her pizza and looked to her uncle. "Well, it's hard to think of you as anything else." She set the slice down and smiled lightly at him.

_'She looks so much like her mother.' _He pushed those thoughts out of his mind. It'd just dredge up more problems. "Well, the grim reality is that no one is invincible. No one is immortal, and people can and do get hurt, even the strongest of heroes." He lifted his shirt, Melissa clapping her hands over her mouth as she looked at his wound, horror written on her face.

"My god…"

"Yep, that's what Izuku said. Pretty gross, huh? It happened about five years ago in a fight most of the world doesn't even know happened. Most of my respiratory system and my whole stomach was destroyed. But, I'm the Symbol of Peace. The guy who's always supposed to be smiling. I actually started to lose faith around the beginning of this year. Right up until I met a young boy who asked me if he could be a hero too. This boy, despite being told no, that he couldn't be a hero, threw himself headlong into the danger without a second thought to try and save a friend. He was Quirkless at the time and had no outstanding abilities other than his heart.

But this," he motioned to his wound. "this is the reality that I live in and that young Midoriya now stands in. One day, something like this could happen to him."

Melissa was silent for a few moments after that. "That boy was Deku, wasn't it?" All Might nodded. "But, how? You said he was Quirkless."

Toshinori froze up. _'SHIT, I SLIPPED UP!' _"Uh, well, his Quirk hadn't properly manifested yet, it activated due to stress."

The skeptical look his goddaughter gave him was enough to say she wasn't convinced, but she left it alone. As if to save him, his phone started ringing. **_'A phone call is here, a phone call is here, a phone call is here!'_**

He picked it up while Melissa mulled over the fact that his ringtone was himself. "Hey, what's up, Young Midoriya? Mhmm, mhmm. Wait, you want to come to my place to study? Ohhhh, that makes sense. Sure, I'll text you the address."

Melissa looked at him oddly as he hung up. "Was that Deku?"

"Yeah, apparently his mother is having a book club and it's getting loud at his place, so he asked if he could study here. Oh, hold on." He texted out the address and asked if the boy had eaten dinner. After a moment, he put the phone away. "Good thing I ordered three pizza's. Midoriya hasn't eaten. The boy forgot to eat at lunch because he was studying."

"Remind me to smack him for that."

"Only if I don't get to him first." They both laughed at that. After about an hour, there was a knock at the door.

"Mr. Yagi? It's Izuku." '_Not bad, using my real name to keep people from swarming. Smart, young Midoriya.'_

"I'm coming." He winked at Melissa who hid behind the door. He opened the door to see his young disciple smiling there and looking all kinds of nervous… and muttering to himself. "Wake up, Fanboy!" All Might screamed in his ear, causing him to jump almost six feet in the air.

"Sorry, All- I mean, Mr. Yagi." Deku said shakily.

All Might smiled and nodded as Melissa tried to not lose it. He was so cute! "It's alright. Come on in." Deku nodded and stepped in, taking in everything quickly before noticing the three pizza's on the table.

"Hey, All Might, I said I was hungry, but I don't think you and me can eat that much." _'And one of them has already been eaten out of.' _He noticed.

"You're right, we can't."

**_"Texas…" _**Izuku turned at the sound of a new voice before being clocked in the jaw. **_"SMASH!" _**The hit didn't really hurt, but it did catch him off guard, knocking him over. He looked up to see Melissa shaking her now reddening hand with a smile on her face. "Maybe now you'll remember to eat lunch."

"Melissa!" He hopped up and much to everyone's, including his own surprise, lifted her up in a hug.

Melissa squealed in shock, but then started laughing, hugging her friend back. Deku blushed darkly and put her down, still in the hug. He tried to stammer out an apology, but she just quieted him. "Let's eat, you two." She sat down and grabbed her pizza, taking a bite. Deku tried to sit beside her, but was stopped when All Might transformed, picked his student up by his shirt and sat himself between them. "Uncle Might." Melissa said sternly, but the hero didn't relent, simply transforming back and starting another movie.

Deku didn't mind really. He got to see his friend, that was enough for him. Throughout the movie he learned why Melissa was there, reaching over his teacher to hold her hand as support for a moment before Toshinori 'accidently' broke them up by standing. "Anyone want something to drink?" he asked, ignoring Melissa's glare.

After the movie and more of All Might trying to keep the teens apart cause he's overprotective of them both, Melissa offered to help Deku study for his test. Deku thanked her and they moved to the dining room table. All Might thought about stepping between them again, but decided to leave it be. They didn't realize how late it had gotten until Deku got a call from his mom.

'_Izuku, where are you? It's almost ten, baby!'_

"Oh, wow, I had no idea it had gotten so late!" As Deku was about to hop up and head out the door, All Might asked for his phone, transforming into his hero form.

**"Yes, Mrs. Midoriya? All Might here. Yes, ma'am, young Midoriya has been a model guest tonight. Well, I'm actually talking to you now because as you said, it is rather late and it wouldn't be safe to send Izuku out on such a long walk. With your permission, I'd like for Izuku to stay here the night and I'll bring him to school with me."** A bit of talking on the other side. **"Of course I'll be sure he showers!"** Deku's face turned bright red in response, Melissa trying hard not to laugh at her friend. **"All right! Have a wonderful night, ma'am!" **He got off the phone and passed it back to Izuku, transforming back to his true form and panting heavily. "I've been doing that too much today. Melissa, your room is the one across from mine on the left and the bathroom is right next to it. Midoriya, you're welcome to the couch. There are spare blankets in the closet. Sorry, but this old man needs some sleep."

"**You're not that old.**" The kids said, making him laugh before he walked to his room.

Both of them started laughing after a moment. "Well, I think I've studied enough for the night. Thanks, Melissa. You're a pretty good teacher."

"Well, you don't get to be one of the top students in I-Academy for nothing, but thank you." She stood up and walked back to the den, sitting down and patting the spot beside her. "I figured we could watch some more tv before we go to bed."

Deku blushed again at the thought of sitting so close to her, but he got up and sat beside her anyway, after putting the pizza away. They weren't watching the movie, simply talking about what had happened (mostly Deku). They talked about the Hero Killer, how they were caught off guard by him and Endeavor saving them, though Melissa eventually wormed the truth out of her friend. She'd heard of the Hero Killer and to hear that three students beat him was something else.

Izuku knew Melissa was bottling everything up, but he didn't want to press her for the info or why, but he did let her know he was there if she wanted to talk. Her response was to kiss his cheek, leading him to blush furiously, only to notice something wet on his cheek. He looked at her and noticed her quickly wiping face. Was… was she crying? They actually started watching the movie after that, Melissa leaning on Izuku as they did. He was so red faced, he couldn't hear the movie over the pounding of his heart.

When it ended, Melissa jumped up and grabbed his hands, dragging him to her room. He was powerless to stop her, standing in the doorway as she searched through her stuff. He tried not to look at her wiggling bottom as she looked for… whatever it was. She found it, her computer, and set it up. "Come here, I wanna show you something." She fired up the computer and pulled up her blueprints for the Full set.

"Hey, those look like the Full Gauntlet you gave me."

"Mhmm. I'm remaking it, and another as well as a set of greaves to go with it. Of course, I'm sure you're only going to use them in emergencies, but they'll be a good back up if you do need them. It'll be sometime before I have them done though. Hopefully, working on them during my off hours at the school will get them done faster, but it'll still be a while."

Deku wasn't too shocked. She was David Shields daughter after all, but something did cross his mind. "Melissa, are you making these for me?"

She nodded and turned back to him, taking his hand and having him sit down beside her. Her soft, nimble fingers traced his scar. "How exactly did you get this?" Deku told her the story, his bout with Todoroki and the surgery he needed afterwards. "I wanna make sure this doesn't happen too often. I know we only knew each other for a bit on I-Island, but I care about you. I don't want to see you get hurt." The memory of All Mights wound was still fresh in her mind, prompting Deku to gently squeeze her hand. She smiled softly, looking up at him as he smiled in return.

"Hey, Deku?" He hummed in response. "Do you… have someone special to you?" His face turned a brilliant red in response.

"W-well, n-n-no, not really, I-I mean, I-mmph!" He was cut off by Melissa gently pressing her lips to his. She lingered for a moment before pulling away.

"Sorry. I've always to prefer action over words, so I-mmph!" She was shocked when Izuku took the same course of action, despite the fact that his conscious mind hadn't done a damn thing, leaving him blushing heavily. Melissa's own cheeks were rather flushed too. She hadn't expected that. They both just remained silent until Deku said he was going to head back to the den. Melissa followed, saying she wanted to watch another movie in a monotone voice.

Neither kids really knew where to go from there, especially not Izuku. Melissa had dated before, but she was still at a loss for what to do. They simply sat, unconsciously holding each others hands before Melissa fell asleep leaning on her hero, Deku's eyes sliding shut soon after that. He wrapped his arm around her out of instinct as he tried to get comfy. The two kids slept better that night than they had in weeks.

* * *

All Might yawned as he walked out of his room. It was one AM and he needed to use the restroom, so he decided to check on Melissa, make sure she had settled in okay. When he saw that she wasn't in her room, he walked to the den, planning on reprimanding them for staying up so late, only to see them sleeping in each others arms. As much as his… fatherly? As much as his fatherly instincts told him to split them up, he couldn't bring himself to do it. He pulled out his phone and took a picture, intending to send a copy to David. He took off Melissa's glasses and gently pushed the two so they were laying down on the couch before covering them with a blanket.

He started to walk off when he heard Melissa sniffle. "Daddy…" All Might turned back around to see her crying, her face showing a wealth of pain and anger. He stepped forward to wake her, but Izuku simply wrapped his arms a bit tighter around her and she calmed down, as if he were protecting her from the nightmare she was being plagued by.

The hero smiled and turned back down the hall to the bathroom. '_They'll be good for each other. I know they will.'_


	2. Finals and Feelings

After doing a bit more research and watching the episode that lead into the movie again, I stand by my placement. This is an exert taken straight from the My Hero Academia Wiki

At the end of July** before training camp,** All Might happens upon Midnight and Cementoss watching a special on TV. It's about All Might's training abroad in America during the infancy of his heroic career. All Might enjoys remembering those times and smiles at the mention of his friend David Shield.

Unless that episode happens immediately after the finals, though to my understanding, that episode is the last day before the training camp, the placement of the movie is just before the finals. Though, it does make me happy to know that there are people paying enough attention to point out discrepancies in my writing.

Also, holy shit! This blew up unlike any story I've done so far! Jesus!

* * *

Melissa sighed happily as her eyes slowly opened. She sat up in bed and gave a stretch, shaking her head to knock her hair out of her face. She yawned again, looking at her clock. 5:30 on the dot. Well, that's a good time to get up. She swung her legs out of bed and walked to the door of her bedroom… only for it literally fall away.

She stepped back in shock, screaming as the rest of her room began to rot and fall apart, taking her with it. After falling for an eternity, she felt arms around her. She turned back, expecting to see her father, All Might, or even Deku, but she was met with a man. At least, it sounded like a man. She couldn't see him, he was obscured by a horrid darkness he seemed to emit. The sheer terror that coursed through her was beyond her comprehension and for a split second, she saw it. Her own death. That is what this man is. He is Death Incarnate.

**"My, what a beautiful flower you are, Melissa Shield. Your father must be so proud. I suppose it's only fitting that if he isn't here, his daughter should be the one to watch the Symbols of Peace breath their last."**

Melissa's eyes widened as she looked around, horror creeping into her mind as the man released her, the girl running forward. "UNCLE MIGHT!" She pulled the hero into her arms, his beaten, bloody corpse slumped in her grasp. She sobbed into his broken chest before a voice caught her attention.

"Run… Run away… Melissa." She looked up a pile of rubble to see Deku, almost as badly beaten as All Might, one of his arms severely damaged, the other just barely undamaged enough to move. "I'll… I'll hold him off… I won't let him past me… Run!"

**"Hmph. I see that you're as stubborn as your predecessor, Izuku Midoriya. Fine then. Let's finish this."** Power began to radiate off both men, the two staring each other down.

_**"SMASH!"**_

"Deku, no!" Melissa screamed as the boy jumped over her, roaring as he rushed the villain, their fists colliding in a brilliant flash of light. "DEKU!"

**"MELISSA!"**

* * *

Melissa screamed as she awoke from her nightmare, a shirtless Midoriya standing over her, his hands on her shoulders. "Melissa, look at me." She did as she was told, looking to her friends eyes before breaking down and hugging him tightly.

All Might came running out in his muscle form, a towel wrapped around his waist. **"What?! What's wrong?!"** He finally noticed the kids holding each other, Izuku trying to calm the blonde genius and said genius refusing to let go of him. Once she noticed All Might standing there, she let go of Izuku and lunged at him. **"Whoa!"**

He caught her with ease, hoping that his towel stayed on as she clung to him, sobbing loudly. "Uncle Might… You and Deku… Oh god…"

The hero deflated as his disciple peeled Melissa off him, letting her hug him again. "Melissa, what was that about?" Izuku asked.

The blonde girl sobbed harder and the two decided to give her a moment to breathe. After a few minutes (and her basically curling into Deku's lap), All Might deflated and she finally calmed down enough to tell them what happened.

Izuku slipped on a t-shirt after she moved to the couch, not noticing the rather appreciative look Melissa was giving him as All Might mulled over what she said. She never realized just how well-cut he was. "That's quite the nightmare, hon. But I'm not surprised, honestly. You've been through a lot in a short span of time, not to mention finding out that your 'invincible' Uncle Might isn't so invincible."

"And we all know that I'm far from invincible." Deku smiled and showed off the scar on his hand.

"It wasn't the fact that you two were hurt that scared me." They both looked at her oddly. "It was the fact that you were getting hurt… and I couldn't help you."

"Melissa…" Deku started, being cut off by his teacher.

"Melissa, your father said the same thing to me once." She looked up at her godfather, her aqua blue eyes red and still brimming with unshed tears. "Here's what I told him. 'Not every hero is on the frontlines, fighting. Sometimes, the most heroic and helpful thing you can do is stand in the background, helping indirectly. There is no dishonor in knowing you can't fight like others.' That is what you want to do with your life isn't it? Help from behind the scenes?"

She nodded and All Might smiled. "Well, a hard fact you're going to learn is that you can't protect us when we're fighting. There will always be something you can do, something greater than we could ever, but at the end of the day, we are heroes. It's our job, our calling to put our lives on the line for others."

Melissa's lip started trembling as she bit back another sob. "Melissa." She looked up at her friend, taken aback by the fiery look in his eyes. "I can't promise you I won't get hurt or that I won't fight to protect you, because I will, but I will promised you this. If I do have to fight, I promise I won't lose."

All Might wasn't too shocked by this. Honestly, what really shocked him was that what Izuku said was eerily similar to what he told David and Melissa's mother.

The girl lunged onto a now blushing Deku, hugging him tightly. Toshinori chuckled a bit before he pulled his goddaughter off his blushing disciple. "Well, you two have school before long, so once you're ready, get dressed. And Midoriya." Izuku looked up at All Might. "Your mother is expecting Melissa for dinner tonight." After that, Toshinori stood up and walked back to his room to get dressed.

Both teens just stared after the hero. They… really didn't know what to say to that, so they stayed quiet until Deku took the initiative, freeing his hand from hers and wrapping an arm around her shoulders. She sniffled a bit and snuggled into him.

He started thinking about last night, wondering if he should talk to her about what happened, but looking at her, she wasn't in the right mindset at the moment for that kind of talk. And… that kind of talk would lead to another. One he could very easily mess up.

He pulled himself away from her, telling her he was gonna get breakfast started and asking what she wanted to eat. She gave him a vague answer and informed him that she was gonna go take a shower before walking up behind him and kissing his cheek. "Thank you, Deku."

He nodded mutely, Melissa let him go. 'She was so close! I could smell her shampoo!' Then he remembered the kiss they shared the night before. If he kept thinking about this, he was going to explode. He made a quick meal of rice, eggs, and bacon with some toast on the side. He wasn't sure what Melissa and All Might liked to eat, so he was playing it safe. A simple meal was normally what he or his mother made at home, so he was reasonably sure he could make it decent enough for the two. He started on his after plating theirs.

All Might was first to the table, thanking Midoriya for the food before spreading some jam on his toast, putting his egg on it and digging in. Izuku just watched in horror. As did Melissa. Deku just barely noticed her there, still drying her hair, and in her new uniform. 'Were her legs always that long?' The adolescent shook that thought free as All Might glared at him for a split moment before letting it go. He'd have a talk with them both if that tension he felt in the air between them lead anywhere.

Deku stammered out that he'd made breakfast, much to Melissa's amusement, kissing his cheek again with a much happier look on her face before thanking him and sitting down across from her uncle. Izuku very nearly erupted into flame, his face was so hot. He was able to shelve it before, but now his brain went into overdrive and he started doing his staple muttering. The other two in the room just watched for a moment before All Might pelted him with another piece of toast.

"Getting creepy!"

Izuku's blush didn't recede as he sat down. "S-sorry." Melissa giggled again at his predicament, earning a shy smile from her hero.

The three ate in relative silence, Melissa and Izuku refusing to meet each others gazes. And All Might definitely noticed. He set his utensils down with a clatter. "Okay, you've been here a day and you two are already acting weird. What's up? What happened after I went to bed last night?"

Both teens froze and All Might had a general answer. He sighed lightly. "Melissa." She gulped. "Do you like Midoriya that way? I mean, really like him?" He asked, making the boy stammer loudly as he tried to stop the conversation there.

"Yes." Melissa said plain, but firmly.

"And you aren't just reaching for something stable to hold onto?" Her eyes widened when he asked that. But, as angry as she was at him for it, the look on his face said that he knew that was what she had done in the past to cope with losing her mother. Apparently, her father filled him in.

"All Might, why would you even ask something like that?!" Deku said, incredulous at his masters lack of tact.

"Deku, it's alright." The boy looked at the angry girl, almost afraid of the glint in her eye. "Uncle Might, I understand that you want to protect me and Deku, but asking something like that…"

"I stand by what I asked. You also haven't given me an answer." Deku saw All Might in a new light right now. He was acting like a father, trying to protect them emotionally even if he had to royally piss them both off. He wasn't sure if he liked it or not, having been without a father for the bulk of his life. He was sorely lacking in this area of experience.

All Might and Melissa continued their stare down for a moment before Toshinori sighed again. "Fine, I'll leave it be. You're 17 and 15, you're old enough to figure this out on your own. But, I am here if you need to talk." He got up and walked around to the both of them, opening his arms to Melissa. "I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings, I just don't want you two rushing into something you're not ready for."

Melissa glared for a moment before hugging her uncle with a smile. "It's okay. Thank you for caring enough to worry."

"I'll always worry about you." He looked up at his disciple. "That means you too, Young Midoriya. I'm here whenever you need me." He let her go, patting Midoriya's head before they all sat down and started to finish their breakfast. All Might checked his phone and blood spewed from his mouth in shock. "Crap! We're gonna be late! Your finals start today, Midoriya!"

Deku started screaming and running around, Melissa Texas Smashing him back to reality. Toshinori opened the door to his veranda before transforming. He was reasonably sure where his apartment was that it was obscured enough he didn't need to worry about exposure.** "All right, love birds! Grab hold of me and I'll get us to the school!"**

Both of them blushed at being called love birds, but they grabbed hold all the same after grabbing their bags. The number one hero jumped into air, both holding on tight, Deku on All Mights back and Melissa in his arms. He turned in midair, pulling his arm back. _**"NEW HAMPSHIRE SMASH!"**_ A sound akin to a sonic boom erupted out as the hero punched air, sending them all flying at break neck speed. Deku was more or less used to this, but Melissa was losing it! She gripped Midoriya's hand tight as her godfather all but flew through the air after he turned around.

A siren was heard below them and All Might was immediately torn until Deku jumped over him, grabbed Melissa and jumped out of his arms. "Go! I can get there!"

**"My thanks, young Midoriya! If anyone asks, you're my new sidekick!"** Normally, he wouldn't have allowed Izuku to use his quirk in public like this, but they need to get to school. Aizawa had threatened anyone that was late with immediate expulsion, so he'd take the heat for this one. The hero blasted off towards the siren.

Deku flipped midair, cradling Melissa in his arms. "Hold on!" 'One for All: Full Cowling!' He felt the power of One for All surge through him, letting him land easily enough before launching off in the direction of the school. Melissa kept her arms tightly wrapped around her friends neck as he ran faster than most of the cars on the road below them. The look of grim determination on Deku's face was actually kind of adorable, the girl smiling and resting against him as he ran. It wasn't more than a few minutes later that they finally got to school, Izuku setting Melissa down and the blonde haired genius needing a minute for her stomach to catch up with her.

Once she was ready, they walked to the gate, scanning their student ID's and walking through. They both started running, Melissa following Izuku. Aizawa was standing outside Class 1A's room, waiting for the 'Problem Child' to show up, said boy running around the corner with Melissa just behind him. "You're cutting it close, Midoriya." He noticed the girl behind him. "Who's this?"

The girl was panting heavily, as was Midoriya. "Me-Melissa Shield, sir."

"Oh yeah, I heard about you. All Might called me to let me know you were on your way and to give you a map of the school. Your class is 3C." He held out the folded map for the girl. She took it and thanked the teacher before turning to leave, Aizawa doing the same. "Hurry up, Midoriya."

"Melissa!" She turned back to a blushing Deku. He smiled nervously. "S-see you after school."

She smiled and walked back up to him, kissing his cheek. "Bet on it, Deku-kun."

She took off down the hall, an after thought about the talk they'd need to have at some point, but for now, she had a class to get to.

Deku stood there, dazed for a moment before he noticed the deathly glare he was getting from his teacher. "Keep in mind, Midoriya, student relationships like that are forbidden within the school. I'll overlook it now, but don't let it happen again."

As Aizawa walked into the class, Midoriya stuttered out a quick, "Y-yessir."

…

It had been three days now since Melissa started school at UA and the classes were finished with their written exams. Now, it was time for their practical exams. Melissa smiled at her new class as she stood up at the podium. Many of them glared at her, mostly the other girls, because despite having only been there for three days, she made the number one spot in the written exams.

Now, standing in front of the class, she smiled brightly at them all, Power Loader sitting at his desk as he watched. What was the oddest of all of this was the first year hero course student standing off to Melissa's side.

Deku shifted uncomfortably. His wrists and ankles bore the heavy bracelets and anklets of the Full Gear. From blueprints to fully made in three days. Melissa is really amazing.

"So, for my practical exam, I have a support item recently patented under my name in the U.S. I call it Full Gear. It is a support item made for a single purpose. Shock absorption. Each one of the Gears components is capable of taking the full brunt of an attack from the hero, All Might, but they are primarily items used for close combat, meaning the shock absorption aspect is used both ways." She turned to Deku and nodded, turning the latch and hitting the button on the right bracelet. The bracelets extended into skintight gauntlets, white and green to match his old gloves, while the anklets extended, resembling his boots. He had to admit, they fit well. He flexed his fingers a bit to test the range of motion. Full range.

"The gauntlets are made of a carbon based titanium alloy, enhanced through extensive tempering and further purified through techniques I learned on I-Island. I actually had the idea after reading about an old superhero from before the time of Quirks by the name of Anthony Edward Stark, otherwise known as Iron Man." This got some heads turning. Everyone knew about Iron Man and the Avengers of old. In fact, Iron Man was the inspiration for many of the Support class. He created a suit made of a gold-titanium alloy that allowed him to stand on par with some of our worlds greatest heroes. The process I used for the Full Gear set is similar in design to that."

"All well and good," Melissa looked at one of the girls in class, a student by the name of Kaori Yamanaka.

* * *

**Kaori Yamanaka:**

**Quirk: Tweezer**

**She can extend tweezers from the tips of her fingers, allowing for much easier handling of tiny components for her unique support items. It's really weird looking! She considers herself to be a teacher for the younger students in the Support department.**

* * *

"but, as light as the alloy is, is it really as stable as you're leading us to believe?" Kaori was at one point the number one student in the third year class as well as the third most beautiful girl in the school, only beaten by Nejire Hado and Bibimi Kenranzaki. She really didn't like Melissa, despite her attempts to befriend her.

"I can personally account for Shield-san's designs." Deku interjected. "On I-Island, she gave me the prototype for her Full Gear and I used it to aid All Might in defeating the villain Wolfram."

Melissa felt a swell of pride at her friend/possible boyfriends words. Is this what her dad felt like when All Might would tell people how great his suits were? "Thank you, Midoriya-kun. Now then, how about a practical test?" She looked to Powerloader, who simply nodded.

"Come on! Let's get outside! Midoriya's got his own finals today!" he said, hopping up from his desk. He had to admit, he was kind of excited to see what his newest student could do.

Melissa and Midoriya hung in the back, waiting to see if anyone was paying attention. Once they thought no one was, Deku took her hand and stopped her. "Find me after school. I want to talk to you."

The class got outside, Deku taking point after his quick chat with Melissa. The blond girl watched from the head of the pack as Deku walked out into the open field, not noticing that Kaori was next to her. "So, should I keep my mouth shut about you two having… whatever that was?" she whispered

"Should I stay quiet about you sleeping with half the boys in our class in the bathroom for a bit of extra money?" Melissa quipped back without looking up from her spec papers.

Kaori's horrified face turned a deep red. "How did you-!?"

"I didn't." Melissa smiled. "You just told me." She looked at Kaori, who looked she was about to start crying. "Look, I don't know what I did, but why don't we just try and be friends before deciding we hate each other?"

The red head looked at her suspiciously before sighing. "Fine, fair enough." They shook hands and turned back to Deku who was stretching.

Melissa giggled as Kaori just looked on. "Ya know, he's kinda plain looking, but his attitude is kinda cute. Are you two a thing or is it like friends with benefits?" Melissa's glare said it all. Kaori put her hands up in defense. "Just asking."

The younger male sighed lightly as he started letting his power flow through him. Green lightning arced around his body. 'One for All: 100%!' Izuku's costume was made of decently high dollar materials, able to sustain the strain of his own power. However, he wasn't wearing his costume. He was wearing his uniform. So, while his pants were more or less left untouched, his jacket and undershirt were ripped to pieces by his own energy.

Kaori whistled in appreciation at the boys muscled form as the other girls minus Melissa looked away with blushes. "You sure you don't wanna share?"

"Maybe asking you to give me a fresh start was a bad idea." Melissa said jokingly, making the other girl laugh. She raised her voice over the crackle of energy. "As I'm sure many of you know, Midoriya-kun is unable to use his power at it's fullest without severely damaging himself. Midoriya, if you would."

The boy walked over to one of the faux buildings in the training area and drew his arm back. _**"SMASH!" **_He gave a violent roar as he plunged his arm into the concrete and steel, carving through it as if it weren't there as a massive wind blast ripped the building foundation to chunks. The entire class watched in awe as the building fell away from them, chunks from the top breaking and falling down toward Deku. He launched into the air, a gust of wind blowing over the ground, the girls scrambling to put their skirts down. Melissa was happy she already had her hands down, though Kaori didn't seem to care that her… risqué underwear was on display.

"He can do that?!"

"And much more." Melissa said as Izuku used wind blasts and his own power to pulverize the rubble. It was over in the span of about fifteen seconds, the boy landing with a heavy thud. He was panting like he had just run a marathon, sweat pouring down his face. He wasn't used to using 100% for a long time and even with the Full Gear, his body wasn't used to it. His body trembled as he tried to stand tall, but he stumbled. Right into Mellissa's waiting arms. She rubbed his back as he smiled at her. "You did good."

She helped him back to the class, Powerloader saying that Melissa passed with flying colors after checking Izuku's libs to make sure they weren't broken. Sore, but not broken. But, the teacher did take the Full Gear afterwards. As much use as izuku could glean from them, he'd been asked to take them by All Might. He wanted Midoriya to have greater control of his power without them so he didn't become to reliant on them.

"Let's get you to Recovery Girl. I know she said that she wouldn't heal you again, but maybe if I bat my eyes at her, she'll help." The two males chuckled before Powerloader wrote out a quick note and passed him back to Melissa. "Get him to Recovery Girl with this note. I have to finish up these finals and get to Training Area Gamma. See you there, Midoriya!"

Izuku looked at him oddly as he and Mellissa walked away. They got to the hall just fine, a few teachers and students asking if everything was okay and the two of them responding in kind. After a bit, they were alone. Melissa started to feel pretty awkward, so she opened her mouth to ask the question that had been bugging her for a bit. "So, what did you wanna talk about?"

"… After school. It's not something we can take a five minute walk and finish up in that time." Izuku answered with, making Melissa pout. He pushed himself up a bit, limping a bit, but still walking under his own power. "I'll get there. After all the times I've had to go, I think I know where it is."

Melissa kept a hold of his hand, holding it tight as he tried to pull away. "Deku. Is what you wanna talk about… what happened the other night?" The boy blushed brightly, giving her her answer. She smiled and laced her fingers between his. "You remember what I said at breakfast, right?" He nodded. "My answer hasn't changed."

Izuku blushed that much brighter, but still smiled at her. "Well, I guess when we talk, I should give you my answer."

Melissa looked thrilled, but also nervous. She kissed his cheek before turning and walking off back to her class. Midoriya watched her go before turning and going to his classroom. He was asked by everyone why he was shirtless and he explained (poorly). Aizawa told everyone to quiet down and that they were wasting time, ordering them to get their costumes on. They did as they were told, pulling out their costumes before going out to the locker rooms to change.

Deku smiled a bit. A chance to show just how far he'd come in his training. He hadn't destroyed a single robot except that big one in the entrance exam, so now he could redeem himself.

* * *

Melissa ran down the halls of the school. She'd heard from Uraraka that Deku passed the exam, but that All Might had hurt him pretty badly. She got the infirmary and flung the door open.

Midoriya looked up from where he was. He was in a… odd position to say the least. She would have laughed if it wasn't for the fact that pain was very heavily written on his face. "Melissa…"

All Might noticed his goddaughter in the doorway, her eyes hidden by her bangs. **"M-Melissa! I see you've come by to check up on your underclassmen! How responsible and kind of you! I'm sure they both-"**

_**"Leave."**_ And like that, All Might opened and jumped out the window, causing Recovery Girl to laugh.

"I'll leave you two lovebirds alone. Just be gentle with him, dear. Midoriya's back took quite the beating." Recovery Girl excused herself after that, leaving the key with Melissa and asking her to lock up when they leave._ 'The number one hero terrified of a high school girl in love? Oh, Sorahiko will love to hear this.'_

Melissa sat beside Izuku's bed before slowly helping him get into a lying position, holding one of his hands. "Sorry I can't be more… proactive, I guess would be the word." He said with a smile.

She smiled and when that smile turned a bit devious, Deku started sweating. "Think you can scooch over?"

"… You just love taking me out of my comfort zone, huh?"

"I prefer to call it 'Social Exercise'." She said, helping him to slowly move over before laying beside him, tucking her head under his chin. She sighed happily as he weakly wrapped his arms around her.

"It's weird that this feels so natural. I've never… felt like this before." Melissa's body tensed. This was it. "My answer is that I didn't know how I felt. My body moved without me thinking when I kissed you back, but now… I can't imagine having a day without seeing you smile. The last three days you've been helping me, making sure I don't forgo eating for studying and just being with me. I think I understand something your dad told me."

She looked at him oddly. "Me and your father had the chance to talk just before the tower fiasco. I asked him what he thought it took to be a hero. He showed me videos of people helping each other, picking up trash, helping carry groceries, little things that make someone's day better. He told me being a hero didn't mean being a big name in the world, it just meant you do what's right, no matter what."

He tucked his nose into her hair. "The last three days, that day on I-Island, you were my hero, Melissa." He didn't notice the impact of his words until he looked down and saw tears flowing freely down her face, a beautiful smile spread cheek to cheek. He nuzzled against her cheek a bit, making her giggle and stopping up the tears for the moment.

Now came the hard part. "Melissa. I want whatever we have to work. I have no idea how to do that, I've never even held a girls hand until I met you. But something I do know is that you can't have secrets with each other." Melissa looked up at him as he looked to see Kaachan still unconscious. "Melissa, I was born like you. I was born Quirkless. I grew up hoping my Quirk would manifest until one day I went to the doctor and he told me I wasn't going to get a Quirk. My dream of being a hero was destroyed before it even really began. I wasn't like you. I didn't have the opportunity to make a new dream because we simply didn't have the money for something like that. But, I didn't give up. I studied every hero worth learning about, and even some of the more unknown ones.

I was bullied a lot for not having a Quirk, mostly by Kaachan…" He continued his story from there up to meeting All Might. This was the home stretch. "After the sludge villain, All Might found me and told me the words I'd always wanted to hear. 'You too, can become a hero.'" He started to think about what to say next. He had to word it right. "You said that my Quirk was similar to All Might's. You're wrong and you're right. You're right, I can do what All Might does, or I will be able to, one day. But, you're wrong because it isn't similar. My Quirk was All Might's Quirk. Our Quirk is called One for All."

He held out his hand, a gentle light in a multitude of colors appearing in his hand. "This power has been passed from one hero to the next for nine generations. I'm the ninth holder of this Quirk, passed to me from All Might."

Melissa was quiet for a long time after this. Her mind was having trouble processing all of this. "Deku, why are you telling me all this?"

"Because, if I want this… whatever it is to work, I have to tell you. Plus, even if I ignore how I feel, you're still my friend and I trust you."

Melissa simply looked up at Deku, who was having trouble meeting her eyes, his cheeks flushed bright. She'd had boyfriends before, it wasn't all that odd in America, but she'd never had one that placed so much trust in her, so much that it was a bit shocking… and yet, she knew that she trusted him just as much.

She leaned up and kissed him gently, catching him off guard, but he kissed her back. It was a bit awkward at first, but he was a fast learner. "One secret deserves another. I'm just kinda afraid you won't like me as much when I tell you."

"Melissa, I just told you I took the number one hero's Quirk, I'm pretty sure you can get away with quite a bit." Deku joked.

"I'm not a virgin." That shut him up.

"W-well, I-I can't really be m-mad about that. It's your life and-" She kissed him quiet.

"It was once, a year ago, and it was awful." She said, nuzzling back up against him.

"That's… pretty honest." She laughed in response. "Ya know, we should really get ready to head to my place for dinner."

"I'll call Uncle Toshi, see if he'll give us a ride." She did and he said he'd be there soon to pick them up, so until there, they simply lay in bed, talking. Eventually, Bakugo woke up and limped out without a word except when he threatened to blow Melissa to bits for offering to help him. Deku started to get out of bed, only to watch Melissa, a Quirkless young woman slap Bakugo hard enough to send him rolling out of the room. After that, they just laid in the bed together.

Their secrets had been laid bare, their feelings out in the open. And they both felt closer for it. But, Melissa couldn't shake the feeling that something was going to happen at that odd training camp.

Well, whatever it was, Deku could handle it. Right?


	3. The Dam Breaks

**_So, this chapter has much heavier themes than the others have had so far and is much more angst ridden. A lot of emotions are let out in this chapter, and a lot of development is done here too. Let me know if I did this chapter and the characters justice._**

* * *

She was wrong. She was so very, very wrong. Melissa ran, no, sprinted through the hospital as she looked for Deku's room. Aizawa had personally called her and let her know what happened so that she was ready when she got there to see Midoriya. After the incident at the mall with Shiguraki, her and Inko's nerves were absolutely fried.

She finally found it, seeing Inko sitting outside the door, crying her heart out. The blonde walked over and the woman looked up at her. "Inko."

"Oh, Melissa. He was so hurt. His arms… Oh god!" The short woman sobbed loudly into her son's girlfriends chest, the girl wrapping her arms around her.

The only thing keeping her sane was that she knew she had to be strong for Inko, giving her as much comfort as possible. She felt the floor shake a bit and turned to see All Might standing there, his trademark smile gone. Inko looked up at him as well, the hero kneeling down in front of her before letting her sob into his chest next.

After a few moments, the doctor walked out. "Mrs. Midoriya. I need you to fill out some paperwork."

"**She should be allowed to see her son first.**" All Might said, bearing down on the doctor who, surprisingly, wasn't intimidated.

"It's okay, All Might." Inko turned to Melissa and hugged her again. "Give him my love for me, sweetie." She said before walking away with the doctor.

Melissa prepared for the worst, her heart rate sky rocketing. It was almost painful for All Might to watch. David hadn't been there when All For One had hurt him, but Melissa was here. He warned her. And now she'd see just how horrible and dark their world could be.

The two of them walked in and Melissa froze. Her heart and mind froze. She didn't cry, she didn't scream. She went numb. All Might closed the door and transformed back into his true form. He watched as his goddaughter slowly walked to his disciples bedside.

Recovery Girl wasn't done healing his arms, sitting in the lounge to recuperate herself before she had to assist further with the boys surgeries. This meant that Izuku's arms weren't wrapped up. They could see it all. The places were the skin and muscle had ripped to the bone during his fight, the shattered bones underneath.

Out of nowhere, it felt as though a horribly heavy weight pushed Melissa to the ground, the girl hitting her knees as the flood gates burst. She started sobbing so hard that she started hiccuping. Why had she listened to Aizawa? If she had sent the Full Set with him, this wouldn't have happened. "I could have stopped this. Deku, I'm so sorry." She cried all the harder when her uncle hugged her, his own tears flowing.

She gasped as she felt something on her head. She looked up to see it was Izuku's hand. "Me…lissa… Don't… cry." He said as the girl stood up. His eyes were open, but he was barely conscious. She gently held his hand against her cheek. He managed a small smile before he lost consciousness again.

"Oh, Deku." She gently laid his arm back down, pulling his covers up a bit to keep him warm. She then sat down beside him, never taking her eyes off him.

All Might knew his student was strong, that he could bounce back from almost anything, but this was a whole other level of damage he'd dealt with before. "I'm so sorry, Young Midoriya. This is because I'm such a poor teacher. I'm sorry…"

"Uncle Might." The man looked at his ward, shocked to see the gentle smile on her face. "He wouldn't want us blaming ourselves. He'd want us to stay strong." Despite the smile and her words, tears still flowed freely down her cheeks, showing that she couldn't bring herself to fully believe what she was saying.

They both jumped when they heard the door open. They turned to see a young boy with a horned hat standing in the doorway with a young woman standing beside him. Guilt was heavily written on his face, a letter held tight in his hand.

"Mandalay." All Might said, the young woman smiling softly. "And this must be Kota." He said, looking down at the boy.

Melissa knew what that meant. This was the boy Deku had saved, the one he risked everything for. "I-I wanted to tell him I was sorry. I was really mean to him and he still almost died saving me." The boy sniffled a bit, Mandalay trying to calm him. The blonde girl stood up and walked over to Kota, kneeling down in front of him.

"Hi, Kota. I'm Melissa. I'm Deku's girlfriend." She said, smiling at the boy.

His lip quivered lightly. "I'm sorry your boyfriend got so hurt because of me."

"Hey, don't talk like that." He looked into her eyes as she said that, the girl smiling more. "My Deku is a hero. This is what he was born to do. It's one of the things that makes me love him." Her heart jumped when she said this. She had meant to say it's what drew her to him, but that came out instead. "He wouldn't want you blaming yourself. Like I told my Uncle Toshi, he'd want you to be strong. To show the world that his fight wasn't in vain. Because if a hero can save someone, even a little boy that punched him in the balls, then they have fulfilled their duty."

Kota finally started crying, hugging Melissa tight. She held the boy close, letting him get it out, her own tears running over again. Mandalay was heartbroken. This girl, a teenage girl, had to see the boy she loved in such a horrid state. That wasn't something anyone should see, and yet, instead of falling apart, she was helping everyone else to cope. _'She must be so torn up inside.'_

After Kota finally calmed down, he handed her his letter. She set it beside the bed for Deku to read when he woke up. She pulled a chair over to the side of the bed, gently holding her boyfriends hand. All Might thanked them both for coming by. They talked for a bit before Melissa asked him if they could take their conversation outside. "I don't wanna be mean, but I think Deku needs his rest."

"Of course. Mandalay, why don't you and Kota join me in the cafeteria for some lunch. I'm sure the young man here is hungry after his day."

"That sounds nice. How about it, Kota?" She asked her cousin, the boy nodding.

The boy wasn't in the know about All Might, but he did know the man was a teacher. "Mr. Yagi, do you think maybe you could help me learn how to use my quirk better?"

Mandalay was shocked. Kota never wanted to train his quirk before. All Might smiled and nodded lightly. "Of course, son." The two left before the teacher, said teacher looking back at his godchild. "Melissa, do you want anything?" She shook her head, simply watching Deku's face.

He gently placed his hand on her shoulder. "He isn't going to slip away if you leave for a minute to eat, sweetie."

Melissa was quiet for a moment. "We don't know that. Look at him, Uncle Might."

"I am. And do you know what I see?" She looked up at him. "I see a hero. A hero so dedicated to what he believes in that he would happily give his life to protect another. And that's something to be proud of."

"And I am proud." She looked back at the sleeping boy. "But, that's not what I see." All Might looked at her oddly. "I see a young man. A young man who, despite being in way over his head, kept fighting. I see a boy, just barely old enough to be called a young man that was hurt by a monster."

"Sweetheart," All Might started, kneeling down to her level. "heroes are still regular people. We're just as human as the villains we fight. But, we fight to keep everyone around us safe."

"And who keeps you safe? Who makes sure you can come home? I don't know if I can do this. I don't know if I can handle never knowing if the next I see him or you will the be the last." She said.

Toshinori wasn't too shocked she said this. An old flame of his had said the same before they broke up. "That's the reality we live in." They both turned to a new voice, seeing an elderly hero standing in the doorway. "Anywhere, at any time, we could have our lives taken. What urges us to fight is the want to protect others, but what keeps us fighting, what drives us to make sure we make it back alive is the thought that we have someone worth dying and living for back home."

"Gran Torino…" Melissa had no idea that this tiny man was the hero that trained her uncle and her boyfriend. He didn't seem the type. He looked like he was more liable to break a hip then a villains face, but then again, her family was full of underwhelming people with overwhelming abilities.

"Melissa Shield. You decided that this was to be the hand you carried when you chose to stay with All Might, the worlds number hero, and when you decided against his wishes to start dating his disciple, the boy that will one day take his place. If you can't handle it now, what makes you think you will be able to one, five, or ten years down the line?"

All Might's teacher had a habit of cutting straight to the heart of the problem and he wasn't one to shy away because the person he was talking to was a parent or lover. He was also expecting an answer.

Melissa turned back to Deku when she felt his hand curl around hers. She smiled as more tears fell. "I can't. I can't handle it." All Might and Gran Torino sighed gently, but they both looked up when the girl looked to them with a smile. "So, I'll just have to learn how to. I'm scared to lose you and Deku, but I love you both, and I'll support you both. No matter what."

All Might hugged her tight, Gran Torino smiling and nodding. "Alright, youngsters. Let's go get some grub. I heard that the cafeteria here serves taiyaki." He said with a skip. The two laughed at that, Melissa stopping mid-step at an odd sound. She turned back around to see Deku shaking, gradually shaking harder and harder.

The monitors started going crazy as she ran to his bedside. "Deku? Deku!?"

All Might and Gran Torino ran out the door, calling for help. The doctor that had taken Inko to do paperwork came running into the room. "Izuku? Izuku, can you hear me?" He held the convulsing boy in place for a moment to try and check his eyes, but he was moving too much. Recovery Girl barreled into the room past the rest of the party. "Recovery Girl, I need you to administer 270 mg of diazepam*." He turned and started ushering out Melissa, All Might, a very angry Gran Torino, and a newly arrived Inko. "I'm sorry, you have to leave." He got them out and shut the door, leaving him and Recover Girl as the only two in the room with the boy.

Melissa started hyperventilating as Inko freaked out. All Might and Gran Torino tried to calm them, but were failing. It only took a few minutes for the doctor and school nurse to get the boy back under, the two walking out. The party, now joined by Tenya Iida, Uraraka, and basically the rest of Class 1-A, was stopped from going in. "I'm sure I don't need to tell you that Izuku just suffered an incredibly violent seizure*."

"What are you people giving that boy?!" Gran Torino bellowed in the young mans face.

"It wasn't brought on by the medication, Sorahiko." Recovery Girl said, getting their attentions. "It was the head trauma caused by his fight with Muscular. Poor boy has suffered several minor and serious concussions. The fact he isn't brain dead is a miracle."

This floored Melissa and Inko who both passed out on the spot. Neither of them were ready for what might happen to the boy they both cherished. Neither fully understood what it would be like to love a hero.

* * *

It was like this on and off for the next two days until Izuku finally fully regained consciousness. The first thing he saw was a head of sunburst blonde hair on the side of his bed. He lifted his hand, setting it on the head of the girl sleeping by him. She jumped a bit and looked up groggily, waking up instantly and grabbing her glasses. "Deku!" She hugged him tight, the boy hugging her back gently.

"Hey." he said, his voice weak and dry sounding. She pulled away and offered him some water, holding the cup for him. He took a sip, sighing as she took the cup back. "Thank you." He was silent for a moment before noticing a note from his mom and a plate of apple slices.

Melissa saw him look that way. "Your mom left those here for you. Are you hungry?" He shook his head slowly, his girlfriend pressing her hand up against his head. "Your fever's gone down. That's good. You'd wake up every once in a while, but you'd be burning up so badly, you were delirious. You also had a lot of seizures."

"I'm sorry for making you worry." Melissa wanted to cry, scream, and hug him all at once, but she reigned it in. His eyes seemed like he wasn't fully there yet, like there was something missing from them. "What about Kota? Is he okay?"

She smiled and nodded. "He's fine. He visited every day. He thought the story of your fight on with Uncle Might on I-Island was really cool. He also left you a letter you can read once you're up to it."

The door opened and Kaminari poked his head in. When he saw Midoriya was up, he smiled broadly. "Hey, Midoriya, you're awake!" He opened the door and the class walked in. "Have you seen the news? There are reporters all over the school!"

"It's even worse than the USJ." Sato said as he walked in.

Surprisingly, Mineta didn't even look in Melissa's direction. He was actually happier about his friend being conscious than worried about his libido. "I brought a present! Well, we all did. It's a melon!"

Tokoyami spoke up next. "I caused you trouble. Forgive me, Midoriya."

"No, I did this to myself." Deku reassured his friend. "Did everyone from class come to visit me?"

"Well, almost everyone. Jiro and Hagakure are still unconscious. They were knocked out by that villains poisonous gas attack." Iida said. "Yaoyarozu took a pretty bad blow to the head. She's hospitalized here, though I just found out she woke up yesterday. Though we wish everyone could be here, it's just us for now."

"Only fifteen of us are on our feet at the moment." Uraraka said.

"Because Bakugo was taken." Todoroki pointed out.

"Shoto!" Melissa snapped, being followed by a quick lecture from Ashido. The blonde turned back to her boyfriend, seeing the light in his eyes returning, along with tears.

'_Kacchan!'_

_He lunged forward as the villain Dabi vanished with his friend in his grasp._

_'Stay back, Deku.'_

He was quiet for a moment. "All Might told me that there would always be people just out of our reach, that we can't protect, even though we want to. Which is why we have to save the people we can reach. I," His voice started to waver. "was so close to being able to save him. I needed to save him. Had to. That's the the reason I have my quirk. It's just like Mr. Aizawa said."

Tears started to flow down his cheeks. "My body wouldn't move. I couldn't save someone who was right in front of me. And because I failed, my friend is gone."

"Deku…" Melissa said, hugging him to her chest as he cried.

"Fine. Then let's go get him."Everyone froze and looked at Kirishima. "I was here at the hospital yesterday and so was Todoroki. We were on our way to visit you when we passed by Yaoyarozu's room. She was talking to a cop and All Might. We heard her say that she attached a tracking device to one of the villains that attacked us. She made a receiver for them to track the villain back to their base."

Iida's face was drawn in a deep frown. "Don't tell me you intend to ask Yaoyarozu to make you another receiver."

"And if we are?" Todoroki answered, the class rep visibly grinding his teeth.

"You should listen to what All Might said!" He exploded with, shocking everyone in the room."We should leave this to the pros! It's not our place to get involved, you idiots!"

"Maybe, but all I know is that when it all went down, I couldn't do anything!" Kirishima shouted back. "I heard my friend was targeted and I just stood by, helpless! So if I do nothing now, how could I call myself a hero or a man?!" He turned to Izuku. "Come on, Midoriya! He's still within your reach! We can still save Bakugo!"

"ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND?!" Kirishima froze up as Melissa finally blew up. Everyone was struck speechless, even Iida, whom she was siding with. She was normally a voice of reason, trying to calm everyone else and get them to think clearly, but now she was an angry, hurt teen.

"One of your friends was taken, several of them were hurt and others almost didn't come home at all. And your idea to try to fix everything is to run headfirst back into the hornet's nest? Do you have some kind of death wish?! What happens if next time you get yourself or someone else killed?! Have you even thought about how badly that would hurt your parents or the other people who might love you?! You're not heroes! You're students! Stop trying to carry everything on your own!"

Melissa was left panting and crying and the rest of the class just stared incredulous at her. "Everyone, please leave." Midoriya said. "I need to talk to Melissa alone."

They all turned and started walk out, the last being Kirishima who only exchanged glares with Melissa before looking at Midoriya. "If we're doing this, we're doing it tonight. I know you've got some hardcore injuries, so I won't blame you if don't go, but I wanted to invite because I figured you'd feel the worst. We'll wait out by the front entrance after dark."

Deku nodded before his friend left, leaving him alone with Melissa. "That wasn't meant for Kirishima or Todoroki, was it?"

"... No."

"If you have something you wanna say, then just-mmph!" He expected her to hit him, scream at him, something, but instead she kissed him. It was different from other kisses they'd shared before. It wasn't careful or slow, it was rough and passionate. Deku's hands were cast up, so he couldn't stop or hold her, simply falling into her pace and kissing her back with the same ferocity. They finally broke apart, Melissa sobbing quietly.

Izuku couldn't even hug her. He could only watch. "Why do you have to be the one who has to save everyone? Why do you need to be the one to risk your life? You haven't even gotten your provisional license, and yet you want a repeat of what happened with Stain."

"Because I can." She looked up at him, her eyes wide. "I have the power to protect those within my reach. What would be worse? To get myself hurt or killed trying or to ignore those in need and hide?"

She couldn't answer that, but there was something she could say. "Deku, I realized something when I saw you here, beaten and broken. I realized that… I love you. I love you, Izuku." His face said it all. He wasn't ready for that. "And because I love you, I was ready to try and endure, to live with the idea that you might one day leave me because of a villain attack, or an accident you tried to prevent. But now, even after you've had your arms broken and your head all but bashed in, you're willing to get up before you've fully healed and run back into danger." She sniffled. "I don't know that I can handle that pain, that fear."

She looked him in the eyes, tears running down her cheeks before she lunged forward, burying her face in his chest. "Please, don't go. Please, Izuku, please…"

He just looked down at her, the sobbing girl that had won him over so easily. He wrapped his arms around her as best he could, hoping to give her as much comfort as possible. "I love you too, Melissa. I think I always have, but I just didn't know it. You're the kindest, most wonderful person I know… But I can't just ignore a friend in need."

Melissa's grip on him tightened for a moment before going slack. She looked up at him before standing up, turning and walking out of the room without a word, the doctor from earlier passing her as she left.

* * *

It was the middle of the night. Melissa stood against the wall that marked the front of the hospital's property, looking out at the street. She knew it wouldn't be long now. She heard talking. Eijiro, Shoto, Momo, and Deku, then Tenya. She heard flesh strike flesh, figuring that Tenya punched Deku. He was angry. She understood the feeling. When she heard that Iida and Yaoyarozu would be going along with them, her own anger spiked, but she forced it down. She grabbed her bag, steeled her nerves, and stepped out in front of them.

The party froze as she revealed herself. All of them backed off after a moment, all but Deku who met his girlfriends gaze head on.

"Melissa, why do you have a bag with you?" It was her suit case, the one she carried almost everything in when she moved into All Might's apartment.

"Because, depending on what you say, I'm going back home to I-Island and you'll never hear from me again."Deku looked horrified, but Melissa didn't relent. "I already called an old friend and made arrangements to move in with them for a bit until I turn eighteen."

They were quiet for a moment. "Okay. Then what is it you want me to say?"

"You already know that."

"I can't just ignore this. I can't just ignore my friend!"

"So you'll ignore me and your mother and how we feel?! Do you think it's easy to watch you get hurt?! Do you think it's easy for me to just accept that no matter what, I could lose you to some psychopath?!"

"I never said that it was! But, I can't just leave my friend behind! I can't just let him get taken away from his home, his family!" He screamed back.

"Let's the pros handle it! It's what they're here for, dammit!" She threw her bag to the ground, hiccuping hard. "Dammit. I know that I can't talk you out of this, I know that this is who you are. And I know I'm being selfish, but I've already lost so much! I lost my mom, I lost my dad, I lost my home, and now you're making me watch the only boy I've ever really loved throw himself into the lions den!" It was finally starting to come out. All the anger, all the frustration, all the sadness she kept pent up for so long.

"I'm tired. I'm so tired of losing the things I love. I just want one thing that I care about to stay with me. Just one…" She hit her knees, hugging herself tightly as she cried. Deku stepped forward and reached out to her, only to have her slap his hand away. "No! You don't get to touch me!" Her eyes were so angry, so hurt.

He froze up for a moment before kneeling down and hugging her. She tried to pull away, but he wouldn't let her. "We don't plan on fighting. We're gonna save him without engaging anyone."

"Just because you plan on not fighting doesn't mean you won't have to."

"Then I'll keep the promise I made you." Melissa gasped as his grip on her tightened a bit more. "I told you that if I have to fight, that no matter, I would win. I told Kota at camp when I fought Muscular that a heroes job was to risk his life to make his promises a reality. I will not break my promise, I swear to you, I will not leave you." Her heart began to pound. "So please," She could hear the pain and sadness in his voice. His heart was breaking, just like hers. "please don't leave me."

"When I fought Muscular, when he was crushing me under the weight of his power, the last thing I saw before I started to black out was you. Your face, your smile. It's what kept me awake. It's what allowed me to save Kota. We haven't even been together a full two months and already I can't imagine a day without at least talking to you, without hearing your voice.

I'm sorry you're hurting, I always knew you were, I just didn't know what to do to help you. But if you stay, if you let me be selfish just this once, I promise I will do everything I can to help. I will do everything I can to make you happy. I love you Melissa. Please, don't go."

She shook in his arms. "How dare you? How dare you use my words against me? How dare you make me care so much about you? How can you be so selfish?" She wrapped her arms tight around him, afraid to let him go. "I must be insane. I love you too, Izuku. If I'm staying, if I let you take me down this path with you, you have to be so careful. Please, stay safe." They pulled apart before sharing a gentle, loving kiss. One that was ended when Kirishima coughed behind them.

Shoto stepped up when they looked back. "Look, I understand there's a lot of emotions you two need to work through here, but if we're going to do this, we need to go now, Midoriya."

Deku nodded. "Go on ahead, I'll catch up in a minute." The party nodded, moving on without him for the moment.

Kirishima stopped next to them. "I don't know what it's like to love someone as unconditionally as you two do each other. And I don't know what it's like to see someone you love like that get hurt, but I can understand when you when you want something stable in your life. I get why you blew up on me, and I don't blame you if you hate me. But I stand by my word."

As he started to walk away, he heard Melissa say, "You'll make a good hero, Eijiro." He smiled as he walked to the rest of the team.

The two of them said nothing for a moment before Deku hugged her again, Melissa hugging him back. They broke apart after about ten seconds, looking into each others eyes. "I love you." she said.

"And I love you." he answered with.

They hugged again after a moment, simply holding each other before Deku pulled away. "I should catch up to them."

She wiped her cheeks and nodded with a smile, getting into her bag and pulling out the Full Gear set and handing it to him. "Go on. Go be a hero." He nodded, put his gear on and walked off, stopping a few feet away before turning back around, running over to her and pulling her close and lifting her up, kissing her like it was the last time he would. She didn't waste a second, wrapping her legs around him, returning his kiss, and his embrace. When they finally pulled themselves apart, he just smiled at her, that same smile that melted her heart whenever she saw it, before speeding off with his quirk to catch up to his friends.

None of them knew what that night would lead to, but Izuku and Melissa knew one thing. No matter what happened, they'd always have each other. They knew they'd always be in each others hearts.

* * *

Diazepam is a benzodiazepine, a sedative used for a number of things, but mostly as a seizure suppressant as well as anxiety. It's also more well known as Valium. I'm not totally sure on dosage sizes as whenever it was given to me, I was in the middle of my own seizure. I do suffer from epilepsy, but my episodes have been rather tame and far in between each other compared to others I know that suffer from the same problem. It can be given intravenously, but it's most effective when injected into muscles.


	4. AO3

Hey guys, Onio here. So this update should have never happened, but I guess it has to now. Due to constant harassment from another user on this site (one I will not name here, but will be happy to tell you about if you were to privately message me), I will be moving all of my active and mature stories to AO3 under the same name and taking down my stories here. I am not gonna change my stories or their content for one immature moron that thinks they are a mod and that they have the right to tell me that I'm wrong nor am I going to give them the satisfaction of being allowed to order me around like I'm their bitch. So, if any of you avoid AO3 for whatever reason, I'm sorry, but I'm done for the simple fact that it seems that is even one person takes issue with you, it can tank all the work you've done.

This is Onio signing out (on Fanfiction) for good. Sorry it has to be this way.


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